Fly-button.



UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEIcE.

NATHANIEL M. MARSHALL, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

FLY-BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,073, dated June 24, 1902.

Application filed January 6, 1902. Serial No. 88,535. (No model- To all whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL M. MAR- SHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fly-Buttons; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in garment-buttons, and more particularly to such as are adapted'to be used upon garments having fly-openings therein, such as coats, trousers, and dresses having placketopenings therein made fly fashion, my improved button being designed to be used as a closure for such openings. In such garments it has been customary to conceal the button or other fastening device by making the outer edge or overlapping part of the garment double, the fastening device passing through and engaging the inner portion of said outer edge. When thus made, the flap on the outer of the two edges is not secured by the button in any way, and oftentimes, especially when the garment is bent at or near the buttonhole, the flap bends outwardly, exposing the button to view. To obviate this objection, Iprovide a garment-button adapted to pass through the buttonhole in the under portion of the outer edge of the garment with convenient means of attachment to the under edge of the garment. I also provide the face of the button with one of the members of a ball-and-socket union adapted to engage the complemental member of said ball-and-socket union when attached to the under side of the flap or button-concealing portion of the outer edge of the garment. The button maybe secured to the garment by thread, staple, or any convenient means. It is made comparatively fiat, so that the parts of the garment maylie close together.

In the drawings herewith accompanying and making a part of this application, Figure l is a sectional view of a fly-opening, showing one form of my improved button applied thereto, the socket being made integral with the button and the ball attached to the flap. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the button and. socket;

and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a different style of button, showing ball made integral with the button.

Same letters of reference refer to like parts.

In said drawings, A represents the under edge of a garment, to which the button is attached; B, the outer edge of the garment, having the buttonholes, and C the flap which covers the buttonholes.

In Figs. 1 and 2, D represents the button; E, thread-receiving holes made in the bottom of the socket portion, by means of which the button is attached to the garment; F, the socket member of a ball-and-socket union made in the face side of the button, and G the ball member of a ball-and-socket union secured to the under side of the flap.

In Fig. 3, D represents the button; F, the socket member; G, the ball member of a ball-and-socket union, and E the thread-receiving eye.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the socket is shown in the button and the ball secured to the under side of the flap; but obviously these parts may be reversed, the ball being made integral with the button, as seen in Fig. 3.

The objects of my invention are, first, to safeguard the opening by preventing the button from escaping from the buttonhole, and, second, to keep the flap closed throughout its entire length.

Having thus described my invention and its use, I claim- 1. As a new article of manufacture, a garment-button having a wide thin body adapted to pass through a buttonhole, said body having one of the members of a ball-andsocket union positioned at the center of its front side and spaced apart from its edge and on its back side means for attaching it to a garment.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a garment-button having a wide thin body and the socket member of a ball-and-socket union made integral therewith and provided with- In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 4th day of January, 1902.

through and engage a buttonhole in the other side, a, member of a. ball-and-soeket union made integral with the front side of said button and a, complemental member of said NATHANIEL M. MARSHALL. union secured to the inside of the flap and In presence of positioned to engage said first-mentioned! ELGIN C. VERRILL,

NATHAN CLIFFORD member when the flap is closed. 

